


you taught me the courage of stars before you left

by yeasels



Series: sleeping at last [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: (but mostly fluff), Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, title of this work is from saturn by sleeping at last, with some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-12 12:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7935280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeasels/pseuds/yeasels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Okay, okay! I won't die, I promise," he still had a happy-go-lucky grin slapped across his mouth. "I'll come back, safe and sound."</p><p>"Mmf. You better," Hanzo said, offering a small smile to relieve the gunslinger. "Now kiss me again."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Normal nights for Hanzo and Jesse usually consisted of one of them sneaking into the other's bunk sometime during the gloom of the night. The one time Jesse tried it, he had been caught by Hana, and was delayed for an hour. By the time he had escape her flurry of questions, Hanzo had fallen asleep.

Hanzo still woke up with the gunslinger snuggled up against his back — the bunks in the Watchpoint barely contained Jesse by himself, let alone a whole other person — with Jesse's long arms wrapped around his middle.

The two were currently doing that now, lying on their sides, Hanzo staring into Jesse's eyes and kissing the gunslinger languidly. He tasted like ash and bourbon.

" _Mm_ , darlin', do ya think we could... add some spice?" Jesse's eyes twinkled.

"Sex, you mean?" Hanzo asked. He didn't think Jesse would be the type to push so soon. But then again, the way he did things was "barrel in heads first".

"Well, not what I had in mind, darlin'," Jesse gave a nervous chuckle. His cheeks turned red, and this time he didn't have his hat to hide it.

"I don't think I follow," Hanzo said. He peered at the gunslinger curiously.

"We can still kiss babe, but it's just. More intense. Ya feel?" Jesse said.

"You basically want to make out with me?" Hanzo raised a brow with amusement. Jesse huffed, muttering under his breath. "Of course."

"Oh good! So —" Jesse dropped his voice, Hanzo chuckled, "—how do you wanna do this babe?"

"With kissing," Hanzo said. He pushed Jesse flat on his back, and swung his leg over the gunslinger's waist. Jesse gasped, and was beet red again. The archer chuckled, and silenced any of Jesse's murmurings (sometimes in English, but Hanzo liked hearing him utter Spanish when he was really flustered) with his mouth.

Jesse groaned into the kiss, tugging his metal hand through Hanzo's raven locks, enjoying the sight of Hanzo with his hair down. He twirled a lock around a metal finger, rubbing the soft strands delicately. Gradually, the kiss deepened, the archer pressed more of his weight down into Jesse's, forcing the other's mouth open with his own. For extra measure, Hanzo tugged his fingers through Jesse's hair, earning a throaty moan in response.

"Y'know I really like seein' you with your hair down, sweetheart," Jesse murmured when they parted for breath, smiling gently. Both their faces were flushed.

"I know," Hanzo said, returning Jesse's gentle smile, "you've said so in your sleep. _Multiple_ times."

Jesse huffed, puffing those ruddy cheeks of his out. "Aw shucks. I didn't know you watched me in my sleep darlin'."

Hanzo rolled his eyes, and kissed the gunslinger deeply to silence anymore taunts he had up his sleeve. He allowed a tiny groan into the kiss, and Jesse's metal fingers carded through Hanzo's hair with more fever.

Jesse allowed a lot more than a thin groan into the kiss. He was already a loud and raucous man, and he seemingly — _impossibly_ so — got even louder when he was aroused. Or enjoying something. Or maybe both. He rattled like old machinery under Hanzo, his trembling hands feeling all along Hanzo's arms and shoulders, tracing every curve of muscle. It made Hanzo happy (and a little smug), turning the big loud American gunslinger into a noisy and flustered mess.

"I can't believe you hold a gun," Hanzo muttered against Jesse's lips. "I know I wouldn't after seeing your hands shake like this."

"Havin' someone as beautiful as you kissing me like _that_ does things to a man," Jesse retorted, panting lightly.

"I don't doubt that it does," Hanzo smirked lightly. Hanzo pressed his lips to Jesse's once more, gentler, with no intent to suck the air out of either of their lungs like the last kisses had done. He remembered the last and final briefing about the next mission, which was tomorrow, from earlier today.

He wouldn't be going. But Jesse would.

It wasn't a high risk mission, but anything could happen. The thought of the impending danger made Hanzo anxious. He squirmed, shifting uncomfortably.

"What's wrong darlin'?" Jesse noticed Hanzo's change in mood. Maybe he caught a solemn look in Hanzo's eyes.

The archer narrowed his eyes. "I didn't think I'd be this worried about you going on that mission, even if we've both been in situations like these aplenty."

Jess quite literally grinned from ear to ear. He wrapped his arms around Hanzo's middle in a tight hug, rolling him over onto his back and brushing his cheek in a kiss. Hanzo scowled up into the gunslinger's face, and Jesse flashed his teeth and laughed.

"I didn't think you'd be _worried_ about me Hanzo! Aw shucks!"

"I take it back," Hanzo murmured, dropping his head to the mattress.

Jesse kissed his jaw apologetically. "It'll be fine darlin'. This mission is gonna go by smoothly, and I'll be back before you know it. Cross my heart and hope to die."

"Jesse," Hanzo warned at mention of the iconic saying. _Famous last words._

"Okay, okay! I won't die, I promise," he still had a happy-go-lucky grin slapped across his mouth. "I'll come back, safe and sound."

" _Mmf_. You better," Hanzo said, offering a small smile to relieve the gunslinger. "Now kiss me again."

\---

By the time Hanzo was in the cafeteria, joined by the remaining agents at the Watchpoint, he knew Jesse and his teammates were on their merry way. Their mission was simple, they were supposed to gather intel on possible Talon activity in Russia. In and out in a matter of days.

The danger was that if the team got on Talon's radar, it could go south quickly, but they were told to disengage and lay low until everything blew over. It was hard to say how long that in itself would take.

Hanzo was dressed comfortably in his usual attire, no weapons on his person and ready for a day of relaxation, since he had nothing else to do after all. He surveyed the cafeteria — everyone except for three members remained. (The ones that were on the mission were Jesse, Lúcio, and Lena.)

The cafeteria was one of the largest rooms on the ship, aside from the medbay and multiple training simulators. The walls were mostly white, save for a few small windows made of one-way mirrors, and they were lined with multiple screens, mostly menus, others had the forecast and news being broadcasted on it.

Winston had pulled a larger screen up on one table, so that they could broadcast the mission via their satellite. The screen showed the plane making its way to Russia now, they'd be nearing their drop zone any minute now, Winston had commed everyone at the Watchpoint in.

Hanzo ordered a simple breakfast with toast or jam. He had tried rice and miso soup once — a favourite of his — but didn't find it to his liking. Plus Jesse usually had toast in the mornings, or an unhealthy portion of cereal.

Genji sauntered in the cafeteria, a few minutes after Lena had reported in about approaching the designated landing zone. He sat down beside Hanzo without a word. Before, Hanzo felt uncomfortable sitting next to Genji. The quiet _whirr_ of his cybernetic body unnerved him, the archer's reflection in the metal plates made Hanzo feel on edge. The worst part had been the visor — completely unreadable.

"Good morning brother." Genji, like Jesse, had a big sweet tooth. Although a cyborg nowadays, Genji had no actual need to consume food, he chose to do so. And he happened to order the sweetest things he could find. Today, he wanted the colourful cereal hoops Hanzo couldn't stand.

"Good morning," Hanzo replied with a wary glance towards the sugary concoction Genji had received.

They talked about various things, mostly Hanzo telling Genji such a meal was detrimental to his health and Genji waving him off and then talking about some video game Hana had told him about. When the image on the screen changed to that of everyone unloading out of the plane, the atmosphere in the cafeteria changed.

"He'll be back," Genji said. He had taken his visor off to eat, the scarred and veiny skin underneath being a sight Hanzo wasn't used to. However, the face was a familiar one. Under all the scars there was Genji underneath the suit of armour he wore now.

"I know," Hanzo said, glancing at Jesse's figure (he towered over Lúcio and Lena both) in the screen. Whatever expression he wore was hidden under the brim of that ridiculous hat. "He promised me he'd come back."

Genji nodded. "And he never breaks a promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> thank you so so so SO much to everyone who has written a comment, left kudos, or bookmarked any of these fics!!
> 
> also yes genji was eating froot loops


	2. Chapter 2

The first day of the mission was tedious. Hanzo had tried his best to watch in the cafeteria, but he later departed to go about his day (meditate, train, watch the process with the others, stretch, maybe sit down with Hana and watch whatever video game she was playing, keep his comm on).

One of the first things he noticed was how strange it felt to go about his day _without_ Jesse there. There was a hole where Jesse should've been; too much space without his long limbs to occupy it and too quiet without his guffaw to be heard.

At the end of the day, when the three agents had retreated back to their hotel, Jesse had called Hanzo from the privacy of his room.

"Hey." A simple greeting. Hanzo didn't know if he felt disappointed that it was simple.

"Greetings," Hanzo said. The archer wanted to ask Jesse if he was well, safe, happy, if he missed Hanzo but the words fell short.

"I miss you, darlin'," Jesse rumbled.

"And I as well," Hanzo mused. "It's almost too quiet to concentrate without you watching in the shooting range." Jesse laughed, the familiar guffaw Hanzo had been thinking about all day.

"I don't believe that with you telling me to shut up all the time," Jesse said.

"I do so lovingly," Hanzo retorted. _It's too quiet without you_ , Hanzo wanted to say.

"Good thing today was successful. If tomorrow goes by just as smoothly, we may be flyin' home by the end of the week," Jesse yawned between sentences, "but I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch."

Hanzo had no idea what that phrase meant, but he found himself humming in approval. A few beats of silence followed, but it felt different when Jesse wasn't lying beside Hanzo. It almost felt like there was a need to fill in the gaps of silence. Hanzo felt his hand along the top of his sheet, feeling the space Jesse should be filling.

"What if it doesn't go smoothly?" Hanzo asked.

"Then we get the fuck outta here," Jesse was probably shrugging.

"And go where?"

"Well, I don't wanna count those chickens before — _if_ — they ever hatch."

"Then make sure it goes by smoothly," Hanzo murmured. "And I should probably let you rest."

"I — that may be for the best," Jesse chuckled. "Good night Hanzo."

"Good night Jesse," Hanzo was about to tap the end call button —

"Before you hang up, darlin'," Jesse quickly said in a single breath. "I love you."

Hanzo chuckled, "I love you too."

\---

Another thing Hanzo found he missed, after two days of Jesse's absence, while sitting in the cafeteria: Jesse sitting beside him with an arm slung around Hanzo's shoulders. At first, it had drawn attention, and then too much attention, along with a slew of questions (most coming from Hana, as per usual).

"Are you missing your huckleberry?" Hana asked. Genji laughed into his bowl of sugar beside Hanzo.

"Thank goodness we have someone to keep using those catchphrases of his in his absence," Hanzo replied. Hana snorted. She, like Genji, chose the unhealthiest thing off the breakfast menu. Hanzo couldn't believe he ate with the two of them.

"It's so quiet without Jesse. And Lúcio too!" Hana chattered. Those two were probably the loudest of the agents in their mannerisms. "Theres too much dead air in here. We need more people like them to join!"

"Please," Hanzo rolled his eyes. He didn't need another cowboy with those weird sayings running around.

"Apparently there have already been people interested," Genji mused. The archer turned his attention to the projector. Yesterday, the mission had continued going well, but progress had been dull to watch, so Hanzo had spent his day listlessly following the usual routine (minus his plus one).

Winston's suspicions had been correct; Talon was very active in Saint Petersburg. Jesse hypothesized they had a base of operations in the city, and had taken out two Talon agents yesterday. Hanzo had to admit, Jesse was brilliant and keeping a low profile and going undercover. It wasn't something he expected from the gunslinger.

The pride that had swelled inside Hanzo's chest deflated with a nervous report from Lena.

"I think someone spotted us."

Hana and Genji's casual conversation ended, they were both very alert and Hanzo himself tuned into what was playing out on the projector. The trio were in a bad spot if they were to be ambushed, having gotten their way into Volskaya industries, they were surrounded by taller platforms from all sides, a perfect ambush.

"We don't see anything," Winston said. "Athena, have you picked up on anything different?"

"No, but I can scan again —"

"I got visual. Someone's flanking us on the left," Jesse's voice was gruffer than normal. Hanzo grit his teeth. By now, everyone in the cafeteria was watching, and all were silent.

"How many?" Winston asked.

"One. I think it's a sniper, judging by what they look like and their equipment," Jesse said, "get to cover, you two."

Lena and Lúcio split up, Lena hiding behind the crates at the end of the yard, Lúcio ducking into a building, opposite of Jesse.

"Mccree is correct. It is a sniper," Athena said.

"If it's _her_ I'm gonna —" Lena's voice was angry, angrier than Hanzo had ever heard her before.

"You can't go up against her alone!" Lúcio dissuaded Lena. The girl scoffed, and grumbled, knowing her chances of victory were slim to none.

Athen chimed in again. "I don't think this is a Talon agent. The weapon isn't anything previous Talon assassins have possessed."

"What is it?" Winston asked.

"My scanners are telling me it's a biotic rifle," Athena said. Angela and Torbjörn, sitting on the other side of the table, looked at each other with wide eyes. Fareeha, stationed beside Angela, looked at her in confusion. Hanzo felt his gut twist at that shared look. _Either that is very good news or very bad news_.

Hana looked at all the agents in the cafeteria in confusion. "What's a... biotic rifle?"

"It's. A rifle Torbjörn and I designed," Angela said, "after Overwatch collapsed we collaborated to make a rifle that was supposed to heal others, like the biotic canisters in my lab we use in the field. We had made a prototype. And then it got stolen."

"Not by Talon?" Fareeha gently asked. She had a hand on Angela's shoulder in an affectionate gesture.

"We could never confirm who stole it. The security cameras showed someone in a tattered cloak alone. If it was Talon, one of use would probably be dead," Torbjörn grunted.

"So our sniper is a third party?" Lúcio asked. "If they're not with Talon then that means we're good, right?"

"They're also not sided with us as far as we know," Jesse said, sounding grim. "Is it safe to move to somewhere safer? Preferably out of here."

Winston was about to answer before Athena interrupted him, her voice sounding more urgent than before, "my scanners have picked up on more people entering the vicinity."

As Hanzo knew Jesse would say: _out of the frying pan and into the the fire._

Jesse, Lena and Lúcio were all clamouring on the comm; Jesse was barking orders and Lúcio and Lena were trying to plan a rendezvous. It was almost as if it was timed perfectly, while the trio of agents were too busy attempting to plan an escape, soldiers clad in black poured into the yard, lead by a man with an iconic white mask and two deadly shotguns.

"Oh fuck," Lúcio swallowed.

"Okay kids, looks like we're gonna be having a fun time gettin' out of this one," Jesse grumbled. Lena heaved a deep breath, mirroring everyone else in the cafeteria. The atmosphere was thick, and Hanzo knew everyone had the same thought on their mind. He felt ansty, knowing he wasn't in the field by Jesse's side.

Hanzo could hardly bring himself to watch the tall figure in the bright serape jump, out from cover, roll and expertly take out a handful of the soldiers with deadly precision. The sniper had seemingly disappeared, and clearly Jesse had other things to worry about. His brazen charge proved a distraction for Lena and Lúcio to flank around behind and —

All hell broke loose.

A few seconds into the crossfire, and Hanzo noticed that the soldiers were inexperienced, or poorly trained, and were no match to Lena and Lúcio's speed and Jesse's aim. Not long, and Reaper had set out targeting the slower moving Jesse after fruitlessly chasing Lena and Lúcio.

Hanzo's heart got caught in his chest watching Reaper advance on Jesse.

"Shit. Mother _fucker_ ," Jesse muttered into the comm as the ghostly man in black advanced. Jesse fired a bullet into Reaper's arm, and it brought a loud, inhuman hiss from the mercenary.

Hanzo barely registered what was happening. His stomach was tight with terror. He's going to die, was the only thought on his mind.

It looked like the bullet fired into his arm was ineffective against him, as Reaper lifted that same arm and fired a warning shot.

_He's going to die._

"Lena go help out Jesse, I got the last soldier!" Lúcio's voice bursted through the comm. Jesse had scrambled in the yard that would be covered by the sniper seen earlier, but there was no sound of a rifle being fired. He held his gun in front of him, even if his bullets wouldn't help him.

_He's going to die._

Lena split off from Lúcio, but Reaper seemed a step ahead of them. He fired a shot into Jesse's leg, a loud bang, and the gunslinger fell with a shout.

_Help him._

Reaper had his gun trained on Jesse again, Lena was about to jump into the fray, and there was a moment of stillness —

Followed by a barely audible puff of air. And Reaper was toppling over, dropping his weapons.

The cafeteria came back to Hanzo, and everyone was saying something at once. He thought he was going to be sick. Jesse was about to _die_ and he wasn't able to do anything.

"What was that —?"

"No time for questions! Lúcio, Lena, get Jesse to a hospital! We can sort this out after he's stable!"

Hanzo's ears were ringing.

"Hanzo, are you okay? Do you want to go to your room?"

"I —" What did he want? The archer thought for a few seconds. _He wanted Jesse_. But Jesse was miles away, bleeding on a tarmac in Russia. "Yes. My room," he rasped.

When Genji asked — nagged him really — that he stay with Hanzo, but Hanzo insisted that he just needed to absorb it all.

By the time Genji had reluctantly turned back to the cafeteria, Hanzo collapsed on his bunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pharmercy will definitely come into play next chapter bc i truly and wholly believe everyone in overwatch is gay


	3. Chapter 3

Hanzo held Jesse's hand tightly as he lay in the med-bay. The flesh was warm and calloused in Hanzo's hand, and most importantly, _real_. Jesse laid on the examination table with his metal hand draped over his chest, letting Angela check his leg.

His eyes weren't focused on her work, instead, he was looking at Hanzo's hand holding his flesh hand. The mission was messy. Hanzo was worried Jesse would come back different (even though Hanzo was well aware of the fact Jesse had been in countless scenarios _just like this one_ ) but that wasn't the case. _Sometimes_. Sometimes, Jesse became quiet and distant, zoning out for a few minutes.

But, even if the mission was hellish and had been a complete catastrophe, Jesse was here, squeezing Hanzo's hand and bringing Hanzo's knuckles up to his mouth for feather light kisses.

"Your leg should be back to normal in a few days, Jesse! Thank goodness it wasn't as serious as I feared it would've been," Angela finished up her examination. "I don't think we'll need to do physical therapy either."

Jesse looked relieved, and puffed a big sigh. "Soon enough and I'll be back to apple pie order!"

Angela and Hanzo just looked at him.

"Are you making up for lost time?" Hanzo wryly said as they were leaving the medbay.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jesse pouted.

"About your — oh never mind."

If there was one thought that had been niggling at the back of Hanzo's mind, it was that Jesse had come back to the Watchpoint as it was if the mission never happened. No talk of the mission, not a mention of it. It made Hanzo feel on edge, coupled with Jesse's unusual behavior. 

If anything, the mission had left the team with more questions than answers.

Hanzo noticed that they were walking to Jesse's room. Another thing they'd just resume doing — Hanzo sneaking into Jesse's bunk at night. Jesse's room wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. It had a desk with a monitor, a closet and of course, the bed Hanzo was oh-so-familiar with. Something stuck out from the last time Hanzo had been here: there were pictures on Jesse's desk.

"What are these?" Hanzo asked, picking one up delicately.

Jesse sat on the bed with a loud sigh, lighting a cigar. "Old photographs. From before... all this shit happened."

Since Jesse's bunk was against the wall, he had scooted to the far end of it, so his back was leaning against his, arms behind his head, smoking peacefully. A few days prior, and Hanzo thought he never would see the man again.

His heart clenched. He turned back to the photograph.

It was a picture of Jesse during his first year in Blackwatch judging by the date at the upper corner. It was a picture of him with a slightly shorter, stockier man. The man had dark skin, a fierce scowl, and scars over his face. He could only be the infamous Gabriel Reyes.

Hanzo set that one aside for a different one, another one of Jesse and Gabriel Reyes, but with a tall, proud looking woman. Ana Amari.

"Why do you have these out? I've never seen them before," although Hanzo would never willingly admit it, he enjoyed looking at the photographs with Jesse from his younger years. Then there were the videos.

"I've been feeling oddly nostalgic," Jesse answered. He looked oddly solemn, watching Hanzo sift through each photograph and assessing each character in each scene. "And, I feel like I've missed something. About... the mission."

Hanzo raised his eyebrows at him. "The mission. Do you wish to talk about it?"

"I — all I know is that I nearly died," Jesse took a deep breath. "I nearly _died_. That _son of a bitch_ Reaper nearly took me out, and I - I couldn't do the one thing I know best —"

"Jesse —" Hanzo set down the photographs, and sat on the bed beside him. Comforting people was something that didn't come naturally to Hanzo. He grit his teeth. "It was only a few seconds."

"I _hesitated_ Hanzo. I couldn't kill him, all because I felt — I felt that —" Jesse stared at his hands, one flesh, one metal. "I felt that I knew him."

Hanzo blinked. "Jesse. Is this why you haven't talked about it?"

Jesse looked at Hanzo stupefied, a familiar expression, and puffed out a cloud of smoke from his cigar. "I was tryna get through it on my own."

The archer pressed close to Jesse's side. He looped their hands together, Jesse's metal fingers falling in between his flesh ones naturally. "You _don't_ have to get through it alone."

Jesse rested his head on Hanzo's shoulder when they laid down to go to sleep. Soon enough, Hanzo registered the faint sound of Jesse's snoring, and carefully wriggled out from beneath him. He sat at Jesse's desk, a low light turned on, to thumb through the photos.

He flipped through a series of photos of Gabriel Reyes and the famous Jack Morrison. They were talking, Gabriel looking less fearsome and Jack had a hand on the back of his neck and was laughing. They looked to be very good friends, and yet through the later pictures, they wouldn't even stand near each other.

Hanzo sat hunched over the desk in the low light until his back began to complain. His investigation could resume later, he decided, and went back to Jesse on the warm bunk. The gunslinger lifted his head, his eyes struggling to focus.

"Wha —?" he murmured.

"Shh. Go to bed, Jesse," Hanzo gently pressed his head back down. For extra measure, he snuggled in closer than he normally would. Jesse hummed his approval sleepily.

\---

"Good morning, Papa Bear," Lúcio said when Jesse slumped onto a bench in the cafeteria.

"Oh hush. I ain't that old," Jesse pawed his shoulder playfully. Lúcio laughed. The nickname had stemmed from the mission.

"If you're Papa Bear, what does that make Hanzo?" Lena said with mischievous intent. In all honestly, Hanzo liked Lúcio and Lena. They brought an excited youthfulness to the organization when they needed optimism. Plus, his brother was quite fond of Lúcio.

"Just Hanzo is fine," Hanzo calmly replied as he tapped out his usual order.

"Okay then! Hanzo and Papa Bear, our resident old married men!"

Hanzo didn't mind their comments about his relationship with Jesse. He wasn't embarrassed about being with another man, not any more, at least. When he gripped Jesse's hand, he saw the signature flush adorn Jesse's cheeks, and he smiled smugly.

Despite his usual blush, Jesse seemed stiff, very unlike himself, his shoulders were taut and his metal fingers weren't relaxed. The archer looked at him out of the corner of his eye, warily observing him. He looked tired.

"Jesse —" Hanzo whispered, and remembered that they were in the middle of the cafeteria. It wasn't the right environment to question Jesse in. His fingers tightened around Jesse's hand.

\---

Hanzo returned to his dorm from the locker room adjoining the training compound to see a note with Jesse's familiar scrawl.

_Meet me in my room @ 1930 :)_

The archer had kept the crumpled note in his pocket, thumbing it and periodically looking at it. Jesse had evaded him after lunch, so Hanzo went to the training compound and, accidentally, lost track of time. His muscles ached pleasantly from the exercise, he noted happily.

It was now 1930, exactly Jesse's requested time, and Hanzo stood outside his door. He flushed, realizing he had been there at the exact time, and hesitantly raised his hand to knock. A moment passed, and there were unmistakable _thumps_ of Jesse running across his room to open the door.

Jesse stood, looking slightly dishevelled in his haste to open the door. "Ah. Er. Good evening, Hanzo."

"Good evening," Hanzo said with a brow raised. Jesse carded a metal hand through his shaggy locks. He was clad in jeans and flannel, and smelled of cologne. It looked to Hanzo as if he was going out for a date. The archer felt underdressed only in a t-shirt and track pants he took from Genji (he didn't _need_ clothes, he was a cyborg now).

An uncomfortable silence followed. "Can I come in?"

"Oh. Oh!" Jesse flushed brightly, "y - yeah!"

Jesse's stiffness from the morning was replaced by boyish nerves, it seemed. His usually cluttered room was organized, still visibly cluttered, and there were a dozen scented candles scattered about. The lights were dimmed, and the candles bathed the room in a warm glow. Jesse's radio in the corner played music with Spanish lyrics quietly.

"What's all — this?" Hanzo waved his hand around the room. Now _he_ was starting to feel apprehensive.

"I, ah, wanted to do something special," Jesse smiled coyly. Hanzo squinted at the bed. _Roses_.

"I thought you wanted to talk about whats been happening recently," the archer murmured. The pictures Hanzo had been looking at the other night were tucked away somewhere in Jesse's desk.

"I do!"

A pause.

"...I don't think we're on the same page here Jesse."

The gunslinger puffed his cheeks out and exhaled slowly. Even his beard was trimmed. Something unfamiliar twisted in Hanzo's gut. "I wanted to go to the next level, darling."

"Oh," Hanzo breathed. And then regretted it. _He tells you he wants to have sex and that's all you can say?!_

"I mean — Jesse. You want to have sex don't you?" Hanzo closed to distance between them and found it hard to meet the gunslinger's eyes. Behind his nervous exterior, he still looked tired.

"Yes," his answer was a little on the solemn side.

"I... didn't expect to come here to this situation. I thought we were going to talk about what happened the other night. With Reaper," Hanzo chanced looking up into Jesse's eyes. He would describe Jesse's eyes as puppy dog eyes, framed with thick lashes that crinkled in the corners when he grinned.

Now they just looked at him glazed over.

"Why? I said I was fine —"

"You're clearly not fine!" Hanzo took his wrists, holding them firmly. "You've been distant! You look exhausted!"

Jesse tugged his hands out of Hanzo's, walked over to his radio, turned it off, and leaned on his desk. Guilt bubbled in Hanzo's chest, he hadn't meant to snap at the man, he only meant to voice his concerns —

"You're right," Jesse's voice was gravelly. There were a few minutes before Jesse spoke again.

"I know who Reaper is."

"Who?" Hanzo said quietly, approaching Jesse slowly.

"It's Reyes. Gabriel Reyes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic is the first multichaptered one i've finished lmao
> 
> just some things id like to clarify:  
> \- other characters will show up, i plan to have a tracer centric fic in this series!   
> \- also i hc jesse to be a giant and towered over gabe even when he was much younger  
> \- also: i hope u were endeared by jesse tryna be a romantic because he'll def come back ;)
> 
> thanks for the read!!!


End file.
